So I tried playing through D again since I never actually got all the beetles in the game that show the trippy rainbow sequences. However, I could never get all 4 of them to appear in a single playthrough. I tried following a guide here http://www.gamefaqs.com/3do/917844-d/faqs/18186 that said where beetles could appear, but I could never get all of them.

I've heard it's random if all 4 even appear. Does anyone know if that's true or if there's an easier way to get all of the beetles? Not sure if replaying the game after beating it changes anything or not or if I have to keep playing and resetting until I get them all.

Also, I made a silly video a while back for the game talking about how it's really just Laura's Dad being sad and lonely. So enjoy that if you're bored https://youtu.be/XozkbHU5yLg

I haven't played the 3DO version of the game, only the Saturn version, so the following may not apply to your version. That said... I've found that the beetles' appearances seem to be timed somewhat. In a 40 minute quick run of the game, the only beetle I saw was the last one, which always appears in the same spot. In a take-it-at-a-natural-pace, 100 minute play of the game, all four of them showed up. I'm sure you've noticed by now that the game is essentially divided into four chapters, with one beetle appearing in each chapter. If you stick around each chapter for at least 20 minutes, the beetle for that chapter should show up.

All this is based on purely empirical data of course, but I've done a fair number of playthroughs of this game and have yet to see anything to make me doubt this hypothesis.

Oh interesting, didn't think time could be a factor. I'm trying to place the 4 chapters you mentioned and can only think of 3 atm:

Dining room up until the boulder

Boulder room up until the rotating room

Rotating room till the end, including the knight hallway and the observatory

Would the 4th chapter be after breaking the stained glass and entering the final hallway before the glass staircase to the final confrontation? Wasn't sure if a beetle could appear there or not, but I might have been running too fast. Either way, I might need to test this out and see if I can get the beetles, thanks!

ArcaneAria wrote:Would the 4th chapter be after breaking the stained glass and entering the final hallway before the glass staircase to the final confrontation? Wasn't sure if a beetle could appear there or not, but I might have been running too fast. Either way, I might need to test this out and see if I can get the beetles, thanks!

Over a year late to the party, but for future reference there is a beetle in the hallway before the glass staircase. You have to go all the way to the end of the hallway and then push forward (or A, can't remember which). I think this one is always in the same place.

ArcaneAria wrote:Would the 4th chapter be after breaking the stained glass and entering the final hallway before the glass staircase to the final confrontation? Wasn't sure if a beetle could appear there or not, but I might have been running too fast. Either way, I might need to test this out and see if I can get the beetles, thanks!

Over a year late to the party, but for future reference there is a beetle in the hallway before the glass staircase. You have to go all the way to the end of the hallway and then push forward (or A, can't remember which). I think this one is always in the same place.

Decided to try this again after seeing the post and managed to get all 4! I was taking notes throughout the run so I'd have a walkthrough, so that extra time idling may have been what let them spawn. As a joke, I've been thinking of speedrunning this game since there's an any% category (1 time, looks beatable) and an all beetles category (no runs). Here's the page for that: http://www.speedrun.com/d . While trying to go fast, I can't find Chapter 3's beetle sadly. So far what I've found as spawn locations:

Chapter 1:
* Right as the game starts, turn around. Beetle is at the door (has been consistent here).

Chapter 2:
* On the busts
* On the bookshelf
* On the table with the locked drawer

Chapter 3:
* On the grating blocking the path to Chapter 2
* ?
* ?

Chapter 4:
* At the back of the hallway on the wall

There are too many brick walls to check when rotating the rooms in this chapter, gets very tedious fast. I think one of the ways might spawn a beetle though. Maybe it can spawn on the fountain or inside the observatory I never enter since I already know the puzzle solutions? Thought I'd document where I've found the beetles at least for anyone else who stumbles on this thread.

Just finished speedrunning both categories for D, I'm not sure why I did that haha

For All Beetles, I managed to get the 3rd chapter's beetle to spawn at the grating that closes off chapter 2 with the other 3 beetles being easy to find. Overall time was 35:58, which is really good for clearing this game 100%! Video here - https://youtu.be/Bj54PhGoBeo

For Any%, I was playing music from Initial D in the background and forgot the audio mixed to the same channel, so I accidentally made Initial D(racula), which pretty much is fast techno music playing to the slowest game possible. Time for that was 30:22 which beats the current WR. https://youtu.be/X8SDTu1ugMI

For beetle spawning points, off the top of my head I remember beetles at the numbered drawers in chapter 1, and at the fountain in chapter 3. Never saw any beetles at the brick walls in chapter 3, and I've approached all of those brick walls at least once.